Luciano Darderi throws in the towel; no more Italians at the U.S. Open
There are no longer any Italians left in the men’s singles draw at the U.S. Open. Luciano Darderi, the last remaining Italian in a tournament that—as is well known—began without world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, was in fact eliminated by Alexander Zverev.
The German, seeded No. 1 in the draw precisely because of the South Tyrolean’s absence, prevailed with a score of 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7/3) in the round of 16. After struggling in his first two matches, both of which went to five sets, Zverev was never really in trouble against Darderi, who was overwhelmed by 42 winners and had only one break point (which he failed to convert) throughout the match. The winner of the most recent Roland Garros will now face Dutch player Botic van de Zandschulp, ranked 70th in the world, in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, Adriano Panatta praised the champion Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who triumphed at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza after an impressive comeback from 19th place, watched by Jannik Sinner, who was in the stands cheering on his friend. “What do they have in common? They’re both absolute champions,” the former Italian tennis player told Domenica Sportiva. “This kid is really fast—he set the lap record on the final lap… It’s a beautiful sight, and this young man seems so genuine and down-to-earth—he looks like a high school student stepping out of school with his backpack. It’s something that’s really good for Italian sports, which is currently experiencing a fantastic moment.”
“Jannik, Kimi: these are the figures who are good for Italy as a whole; they lift our spirits a little. I’m almost moved.” Antonelli’s feat is destined to go down in history: no driver had ever made a comeback from nineteenth position at Monza, and the 20-year-old from Bologna also became the youngest driver to triumph at the Autodromo. Above all, he is the first Italian to win the Italian Grand Prix since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966—a sixty-year wait swept away on an unforgettable Sunday. Behind him, Mercedes teammate George Russell finished second, with Max Verstappen third in his Red Bull. It was a bitter day for Ferrari, however: Lewis Hamilton finished sixth, and Charles Leclerc was forced to retire after a nasty crash at the Parabolica curve.
